Lions of Virginia Bland Foundation members, Concerned Citizens Network of Alexandria members, elected officials, judges and contestants gather at the Lyceum Feb. 23 for the annual James Bland music competition.
Participants in the James Bland Music Competition were celebrated at the Lyceum Feb. 23 as winners were named by the host Lions Club and Lions of Virginia Bland Foundation.
Chloe Lee, an 11th grade student at the National Cathedral School, placed first in the competition. She performed the Viola Concerto by William Walton. Second place went to violinist Satchit Mainali, an 11th grade student at Thomas Jefferson High School. Mainali played the Introduction et Rondo Capriccioso, Opus 28 by Camille Saint-Saens. Colleen Duggar Munoz, a senior at Thomas Jefferson High School, took third place with a performance of Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto in E Minor.
“It takes a lot of courage and a lot of work to get to this point, to come here and play in front of a live audience,” said Osman Kivrak, one of the judges of the competition. Other judges included Ronal Butler, a past board chair of the Alexandria Symphony Orchestra, and Teri Lazar, a violinist with the National Gallery of Art String Quartet.
The competition is traditionally held during Black History Month as a memorial to African American musician and composer James Bland, who wrote traditional tunes as “Oh Dem Golden Slippers” and “Carry Me Back to Old Virginny.” The latter was the state song of Virginia from 1940-1997.
Under the sponsorship of the Lions organization, the Bland Foundation has been providing performing opportunities as well as scholarships to gifted music students, both vocal and instrumental, since 1948.
The purpose of the foundation is to promote cultural and educational opportunities for the musically talented young people in Virginia.
The program is open to any vocalist or instrumentalist sponsored by a Virginia Lions Club. Any resident of Virginia (or within the club jurisdiction) and attending elementary, junior, or senior high school is eligible to participate. Awards are provided by the State Bland Committee including over $25,000 yearly in state, regional, district, and local scholarships and cash awards.
Local sponsors included the Concerned Citizens Network of Alexandria (CCNA), the Foundation for the Advancement of Music Education, State Farm agent Rodney M. Louis, the Page 1 Foundation and Greene Funeral Home.
“I can feel a sense of community in this competition which I don’t really find in other competitions,” said Lee, who has been playing the viola for about two years. “I am really grateful to be able to be able to compete here.”